Methods for controlling antennas and apparatuses using the same

Abstract

A method for controlling antennas, performed by a virtual tunneling processor of a wireless access point, is provided and contains at least the following steps. Obtaining a plurality of first signal quality indices associated with a connecting device by respectively detecting the plurality of first signal quality indices by a plurality of antenna patterns, selecting a plurality of best antenna patterns as a plurality of antenna-pattern candidates according to the first signal quality indices, obtaining a plurality of second signal quality indices associated with the connecting device by respectively detecting the plurality of second signal quality indices by the antenna-pattern candidates, and storing the second signal quality indices in a database.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for controlling antennas performed by a virtual tunneling processor of a wireless access point, the method comprising the following steps:
 obtaining a plurality of first signal quality indices associated with a connecting device by respectively detecting the plurality of first signal quality indices by a plurality of antenna patterns; 
 selecting a plurality of best antenna patterns as a plurality of antenna-pattern candidates according to the first signal quality indices; 
 obtaining a plurality of second signal quality indices associated with the connecting device by respectively detecting the plurality of second signal quality indices by the antenna-pattern candidates; and 
 transmitting the second signal quality indices to a database, 
 wherein the second signal quality indices are SINRs (Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratios) or IFSs (Interframe Spaces). 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first signal quality indices are RSSIs (Received Signal Strength Indications) or PERs (Packet Error Rates). 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing the first signal quality indices associated with the connecting device in the database, wherein the first signal quality indices are detected under respective antenna patterns. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step for obtaining a plurality of first signal quality indices associated with the connecting device by respectively detecting the plurality of first signal quality indices by a plurality of antenna patterns, further comprises:
 repeatedly performing a first loop, wherein, in each run, a control logic circuit of a steering antenna is adjusted to receive RF (Radio Frequency) signals transmitted from the connecting device by one of the plurality of antenna patterns, in order to obtain one of the first signal quality indices. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the step for obtaining a plurality of second signal quality indices associated with the connecting device by respectively detecting the plurality of second signal quality indices by the antenna-pattern candidates, further comprises:
 repeatedly performing a second loop, wherein, in each run, the control logic circuit of the steering antenna is adjusted to receive RF signals transmitted from the connecting device by one of the plurality of antenna-pattern candidates in order to obtain one of the plurality of second signal quality indices. 
 
     
     
       6. A method for controlling antennas performed by a virtual tunneling processor of a wireless access point, the method comprising the following steps:
 receiving a packet to be transmitted to a connecting device; 
 providing a database, wherein the database stores a plurality of most recently obtained first signal quality indices associated with the connecting device and a plurality of second signal quality indices of a plurality of the best antenna patterns associated with the connecting device; 
 selecting one of the plurality of the best antenna pattern by comparing the first signal quality indices with the second signal quality indices; and 
 adjusting a control logic circuit of a steering antenna for the selected antenna pattern to transmit the packet to the connecting device, 
 wherein the second signal quality indices comprise a plurality of IFSs, or a plurality of SINRs, or a combination thereof. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the steering antenna transmits the packet to generate a beamforming field and form null-beam fields on both sides of the beamforming field to avoid co-channel interference with surrounding devices other than the connecting device. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first signal quality indices comprise a first IFS (Interframe Space), and the first IFS matches one of the plurality of IFSs of the second signal quality indices. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first signal quality indices comprise a first SINR (Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio), and wherein the difference between the first SINR and the SINR of the second signal quality indices is less than a threshold. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the first signal quality indices comprise a first IFS (Interframe Space) and a first SINR (Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio), and the first IFS matches the IFS of the second signal quality indices, and wherein the difference between the first SINR and the SINR of the second signal quality indices is less than a threshold value. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus for controlling antennas, comprising:
 a database; and 
 a virtual tunneling processor coupled to the database, obtaining a plurality of first signal quality indices associated with a connecting device respectively detected by a plurality of antenna patterns, selecting a plurality of the best antenna patterns as a plurality of antenna-pattern candidates according to the first signal quality indices, obtaining a plurality of second signal quality indices associated with the connecting device respectively detected by the antenna-pattern candidates, and transmitting the second signal quality indices to the database, 
 wherein the second signal quality indices are SINRs (Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratios), or IFSs (Interframe Spaces), or a combination thereof. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first signal quality indices are RSSIs (Received Signal Strength Indications) or PERs (Packet Error Rates). 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the virtual tunneling processor stores the first signal quality indices associated with the connecting device in the database, wherein the first signal quality indices are detected under each of the plurality of antenna patterns. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a steering antenna coupled to the virtual tunneling processor, wherein the virtual tunneling processor repeatedly performs a first loop, wherein, in each run, the virtual tunneling processor adjusts a control logic circuit of the steering antenna to receive RF (Radio Frequency) signals transmitted from the connecting device with one of the plurality of antenna patterns in order to obtain one of the first signal quality indices. 
 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the virtual tunneling processor repeatedly performs a second loop, wherein, in each run, the virtual tunneling processor adjusts the control logic circuit of the steering antenna to receive RF signals transmitted from the connecting device by one of the antenna-pattern candidates in order to obtain one of the second signal quality indices. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the steering antenna transmits the packet to generate a beamforming field and form null-beam fields on both sides of the beamforming field to avoid co-channel interference with surrounding devices other than the connecting device. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the first signal quality indices comprise a first IFS (Interframe Space), and the first IFS matches an IFS of a selected antenna pattern selected based on by comparing the first signal quality indices with the second signal quality indices. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the first signal quality indices comprise a first SINR (Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio), and the difference between the first SINR and an SINR of a selected antenna pattern selected based on by comparing the first signal quality indices with the second signal quality indices is less than a threshold value. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the first signal quality indices comprise a first IFS (Interframe Space) and a first SINR (Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio), the first IFS matches an IFS of a selected antenna pattern selected based on by comparing the first signal quality indices with the second signal quality indices, and wherein the difference between the first SINR and an SINR of the selected antenna pattern is less than a threshold value.